Review of Doctor in Petticoats

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy is the first book in the Sophie's Daughters series, and it is a Christian historical fiction about the lives of some women of the West. In this book, Beth McClellan is returning home after many years of learning about medicine, but her ride home is soon interrupted by an accident which forces her to deal with Alex Buchanan. Alex seems to be a man haunted by the past, but when Beth is with him, he is somehow able to function again. The two soon get tangled up in a disaster that reveals shocking truths- Alex is a doctor, and Alex is a wanted man. Will the two be able to have a future together, or will Alex's life be cut short?

Find out in Doctor in Petticoats.

This book is very interesting to read if you like western fiction about the hardships and adventures people can have. I like how the author infused faith with the story, throughout the whole story. The idea of a emotionally wounded man with a woman who heals him isn't new, but the author makes it different with her strong voice throughout this book. I'm a big fan of books that also include medicine, so that element was good as well. From my understanding, this series is somewhat of a sequel to the author's past series, so I believe long-time fans would enjoy this book.

I found the book a little bit hard to stick with, mainly because it made me, a teen reader, a little uncomfortable. Though she doesn't go into any detail, the author talks about the women's weddings nights, and them being together like that. Nothing more than mentions, absolutely no details, but I don't enjoy knowing that kind of thing in the books I read. I'd recommend this book to women, but I'd recommend teen girls wait a bit before picking up this read. Also, the storyline seemed to bump along. I found it a little predictable and, though it is the next book, the portions about Beth's sister were a little distracting from the main story.

All in all, I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Specifics (from amazon.com):
~Paperback: 320 pages
~Publisher: Barbour Books; Sophie's Daughters Series edition (July 1, 2010)
~Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

Note: I received this book freely from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. 

Blessings,